Sunday, July 17, 2011

"Romney Not A Christian" - Says Fox & Friends Hostess / Perry Fan

Another troubling media scandal may be brewing over on Fox News. It began this morning, when bubble headed bleach blonde hostess Ainsley Earhardt of Fox and Friends, said how Rick Perry might do very well fundraising for a possible Presidential run in Christian circles “with Romney obviously not being a Christian.”

Wow, Mormons are not Christian? Now that's news! Thanks Ainsley, but you couldn't be more wrong.

In a discussion on the possible run of Texas governor Rick Perry, the cast of Fox & Friends speculated this morning that he had a strong chance of raising big money among Christians, as the current presumptive frontrunner, Mitt Romney, is “obviously not a Christian.”

Romney, of course, is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a Christian-sounding religious organization if there ever was one. But the comment was made in the context of fundraising– as popular as Gov. Perry may be among as certain sector of Republicans, host Dave Briggs suggested that Perry would have a serious problem keeping up with Romney in the fundraising department.

After a look at poll numbers that seemed to shoot down the Fox & Friends suggestion that Perry was popular, the hosts noted that the numbers at this stage of the race were negligible, especially given that Perry isn’t running yet. If he does run, however, whether he can generate money is an entirely different problem than whether he can generate votes.

“There are a lot of people who think he can’t [keep up financially],” added co-host Clayton Morris of Perry in relation to Romney. Co-host Ainsley Earhardt, however, threw Perry a lifesaver.

“Well, the Christian Coalition, I think he can get a lot from that,” she explained, “with Romney obviously not being a Christian”– a comment that garnered a muffled grunt of agreement or two. In contrast, Earhardt added, Perry “is always on talk shows, on Christian talk shows, he has days of prayer in Texas.”

So an obvious question or two comes right away to my mind.

Is Earhardt intentionally mis-leading or injecting her own religious biases into a national news story?

Or is she just inadequately informed and prepared to handle such a position of responsibility (in other words is she just stupid)?

As of today, we still don’t know if Texas Governor Rick Perry will answer the call and run for the 2012 Republican Presidential Nomination. But one thing is clear if he does, the flamboyant Perry’s proclivity for blending God and politics into his message will surely escalate and may continue to find a willing accomplice in FOX News.

The showy evangelical Texan has cited God numerous times of late, when discussing everything from oil rig disasters to the current state of the economy to how he’d govern.

In May 2010, Perry questioned whether the BP Gulf Oil disaster wasn’t an “act of God” when combating critics of off shore drilling.

Do we really want a leader, who when faced with tough problems, throws his hands in the air, and with reverent fervor, decries it’s God’s will and that he’ll take care of us, one way or another?

If so, include me out.

I don’t cotton to the style of quai- political/religious evangelicalism which percolates up from the lower depths of the Republican Party, disparaging anyone who does not sip from their tainted cup.

I also don’t cotton to a news organization, feigning objectivity, while obviously pushing their own agenda. I don’t like it at MSNBC and I’m disappointed to see it emerging (for some time now) at Fox. If anything, they should be questioning Perry’s reckless use of God as a political prop, instead of touting it as an advantage.

Say what you will about Mitt Romney, but one thing I admire, is his forthright and honest statements regarding his religion. He has faced numerous questions about it and always makes a point to say his beliefs won’t influence his decisions, should he be elected. As Romney has said, “I’m running for Commander in Chief, not Pastor in Chief.”

I always like how people who are in other Republican nominee camps are saying Fox is pulling for Mitt. That couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm just surprised they haven't pulled in that Catholic Priest for commentary like they did 4 years ago.

If she wants to be accurate she could say "some believe that Romney is not a Christian," but to just state he is "obviously not a Christian" is either woefully uninformed (a nice way of saying she's dumb), or she is a bigot. Not a great choice. Who gave her the role of judge to determine who is and who is not a Christian?

Regarding Rick Perry, the more I learn of him the less I like him. For him to say that Texas' problems are too much so he's turning it over to God, how does he expect to address the problems of the nation as a whole? I figure our collective troubles are even bigger than those of Texas.

Guys, as a huge mitthead I'm annoyed that such a thing was said in such a cavalier way, clearly to say to Christians "Don't support this guy!!" But from a theological point of view, can we be honest and admit that mormons have very different doctrines than orthodox christians do on some very important issues? For example, on their idea of God as eternal, of the Holy Trinity, the nature of Christ, etc. I'm not making a value judgement here, I'm just saying the two religions differ in such fundamental ways that it seems disingenuous to call them the same. Again, this is coming from an evangelical reformed christian who supports Mitt for president 100 percent not because of the his religious beliefs, but because of how his religion has informed his values and molded him into the man he is today. And I hate how Fox news is trying to pry christians from supporting Mitt Romney.MikeZ

If she wants to say Romney is obviously not a creedal Christian, I won't argue with her, but when she says he is "obvously not a Christian" she is either talking specifically about Romney because his behavior is not consistent with being a Christian, or she is saying all LDS people are not Christians. I am LDS and I am a Christian. Ainsley Earhardt does not have the right to make that determination, and doing so alienates all of Fox's LDS viewers.

Romney's behavior, his personal life and his public life are above reproach. While not perfect (and none of us are) when Romney says he believes and follows Jesus Christ and accepts Him as his personal savior, that should qualify him to be considered a Christian.

The issue for Ms. Earhardt and everyone should not be whether or not Mormons in general or Romney in particular, are Christians, but whether or not it is appropriate for Perry to use HIS religion ans a political prop.

praying or talking to Jesus differently isn't the issue. If I have a radically different view of God than you do, how can we with honesty say they're the same thing?

I'm not here and now arguing which view is right. I'm merely stating the obvious - that they're different. traditionally religions which have rejected the trinity alone are said to be outside the christian religion. But I'm not saying which is right or not! Maybe the mormon view of God is right and I'm wrong!

I hope I'm communicating my thoughts with the grace and love and truth I intend to convey them. I share everyone's frustration with christians who harbor prejudices against mormons for political office. And I agree with Mitt that I'm not voting for a pastor in chief, and I'm perfectly fine with that. I support him because I admire his intellect, his discipline, his class, his experiences, his record, his family values, and his relationship with his wife. These values of hard work and loyalty were informed to him by his mormon religion, and though I don't share his religious convictions, I admire his character and everything else I stated above; I believe he can WIN, and that's why I'm supporting him for president.

well...fox news is acting like the left wing media...they know that if they inject a statement obviously to discreadit romney with the evangelical voters....it will stick no matter what little oopsy apology they give....i agree they need to run the apology over and over like they do when mitt makes a small minute gaffe or they twist what he says so far out of context it doesn't even resemble his statement! religion needs to stay out of it anyway! the prez is prez over all the people not just one little sect of people anyway!!! geeezzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

I really don't want religion to be an issue in this election, and my problem with Ainsley's comment isn't that it is about Romney, it is also about me. Like I said before, I wouldn't have a problem if she said Romney is not a creedal Christian. He's not. But she said he (and by extension all LDS people) are "obviously not Christian." Why obviously? Any LDS person will say they are Christian. Non-LDS may disagree, but the fact that there is disagreement makes it clearly not obvious.

Fox, if they want to be "fair and balanced" must also choose their words more carefully.

Hi Bosman!! I haven't been hiding, I've been following RS very closely :) I got married june 5th and have been on RS more than my wife appreciates I'm sure :)

I agree with Noelle at 1:53 that the host said it with contempt for Romney, as if his life is so despicable that he "obviously" is not a christian. Shame on her!

I don't mean what I've said in any way to infuriate my LDS friends on this site or make them think I think less of them in any way. Just trying to be honest and convey a sense of love and mutual respect.

MikeZ, as an LDS supporter of Mitt Romney I am always cautious about talking about the Mormon Church because, I truly don't base my support of him on religious grounds. To me, the common religion is interesting, even entertaining, but my support is based on his history of success, his experience, his intellect, his character, his leadership, and his willingness to confront challenges.

I am always gratified to see an enthusiastic Mitt supporter who is not of my same faith. We may not agree on everything, but we agree that Mitt is the right person to hold the office of president of the United States.

And I still say that the Mormon Church is a Christian denomination (but not a creedal Christian denomination), and that Mitt Romney is a Christian (but not a creedal Christian). :)

I wanted to add my comment in agreement of what Mike is saying. I define Christian as the Bible defines it and that definition is very narrow. The Bible teaches very clearly that justification is by faith alone through grace because of what Jesus Christ has already done. Again, it is very narrow.

Having said that, I hope Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination and the presidency. I like his values and his political inclinations. Even though I don't believe that he is a Christian, I think he is the best candidate. I also don't care for how Christians use his religion against him.

Except the Bible does not define the word "Christian." In fact the word "Christian" is not even in the Bible.

Which is why I return to my previous statement once again. If you say LDS is not creedal Christian I will not argue, but the members of the LDS church believe in and follow Jesus Christ, and accept Him as their Savior.

And now that I have beat this dead horse to double death, I will (try to) leave it alone. :)

You'll just have to take my word for it. I only watched FAF for a few minutes this morning. When I turned it on, they had just come back from a commercial break. Ainsley began the segment with a correction and an apology. I had not seen the incident that led to the apology until Bosman posted it.

Noelle, The word Christian is mentioned three times in the Bible (depending on your translation). It was first mentioned in Acts 11:26 where the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. The word Christian means little Christ. So I ask you, how is it possible to be called a Christian, if you are not completely and 100% submitted to what Christ taught? He made it very clear that He came to seek and to save that which is lost. It is the righteousness of Christ alone that can justify a sinner.

Pablo, is anyone perfect in following Jesus? I don't think so. We all make mistakes. Mormons agree that we are saved only through the atonement of Jesus Christ. That qualifies in my book as being a Christian.

When Ainsley Earhart said that Romney is "obviously not a Christian" that is demonstrably false. There may be disagreement on whether or not Romney is a Christian, so it is certainly not obvious. I cannot judge if you are a Christian, just as you cannot judge if I am a Christian, and Ainsley Earhardt certainly cannot judge if Romney is Christian. I'll leave the role of Judge to God.

But again, I don't want to make this a religious debate. I'm not here to convert anyone to the LDS faith. In this forum I'm only looking to convert voters to vote for Romney.

Mike, I don't think you could ever say anything to infuriate anyone, you're such a sweetheart. You wife is lucky to have you. You comments were very respectful.

I honestly don't get the big deal about whether Mormons are Christian or not. Why can't people let the Mormon church define itself?

We believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, and that through His sacrifice we are saved from our sins. There is no other way to enter the kingdom of heaven, than through Him.

We also believe that it is by His atoning sacrifice and grace that we are saved. But, he does expect us to try. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Faith without works is dead. Come follow me. Etc.

I've told this story before, but I once emailed Richard Land because he had mischaracterized (I'm being charitable here) the Mormon faith in an article, and I wanted to correct him on the errors. I wrote a very nice email pointing out where he was wrong. He sent back a 7 page email (when printed) explaining why I'm not Christian--again filled with many errors about my faith.

Oh well, what's a Mormon going to do? We just have to realize that most people understand and take us at our word--that we are Christian, and that Christ is the center of belief. The other people will just have to learn to deal with a Mormon president.

I've mentioned before that I think a lot of the charged feelings come from different applications of the term "Christian", thus leading to confusion. There are many ways it's being defined--perhaps three of the most common I've seen are:

1) Evangelical Christians referring to themselves simply as Christians. Some do so simply for short, others because they believe their viewpoint is correct and, therefore, by definition other beliefs cannot be considered true Christian. Catholics and Mormons can fall outside this definition for some.

2) Those who accept the more commonly used definition of the Trinity. For many, this is non-negotiable and while Catholicism and most of Protestantism do subscribe to this belief, Mormons do not and, therefore, fall outside this definition. Mormons believe in God the Father, that Jesus Christ is His Son, and in the Holy Ghost, but see them more as separate entities than does the majority of traditional Christianity. They also accept the Bible as scripture, but have different interpretations of certain passages.

3) A demographic definition could include all who profess belief in Christ for purposes of categorizing the world's religions, i.e. adherents to Christianity as opposed to Judaism, Islam, etc. Mormonism would fall within this definition.

So, it depends on which definition one is using. If she was using the first, she could have defined it more clearly, e.g. as Noelle suggests, simply stating "Evangelical Christian", etc.

Then again, we would not have had the benefit of another great piece by Doug!

I want to apologize if I came across as offensive. From a strictly spiritual sense, I would encourage you to trust in the Christ of the Bible. If you are doing then, then my heart rejoices. But I have to admit, that I am quite ignorant about the Mormon faith. I will need to do research in the future.

I know that this is a political blog, not a spiritual blog, but the Lord has really got a hold of me lately through divine providence. Again, I am sorry if I came across as offensive. It's just that I want to make sure that Christ's name is lifted up.

And I support Mitt Romney over the other evangelicals, because I think he would be a great president.

This was definitely a wrong-headed mistake by this F&F anchorwoman. What a stupid thing to say on air! May she be cursed with a full e-mail box for the next two weeks!

Hamaca's summary of the different applications of the word, "Christian" was very well done. As a person who was a "Christian/LDS" missionary in Japan, I realize that we Americans would be better served to used the third demographic definition in cases other than theological forums. Everything else just leads to contention.

Mormons do not claim to be the same as creedal Christians, but we "talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ...that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.)

I was also raised as a member of the Church, although I gained my own personal witness of God and Jesus Christ when I was eleven years old. My husband is a convert to the Church; he joined when he was twelve. The missionaries taught him, and he received a witness that God wanted him to be baptized. He was baptized, and he has been absolutely faithful ever since.

As you can see, my husband is a really great man. Congratulations, MikeZ, on your marriage. We just celebrated 23 years of marriage. We tease each other that it has been "23 years of bliss and contentment." I wish you two many, many years of bliss and contentment!

I hadn't seen Pablo's last comment when I made mine. Hamaca's advice is excellent; if you decide to research more about our Church, I hope you will go to mormon.org or lds.org to read first hand what we believe. There are other scholars who are not members, but are considered to be very fair in their writings about our Church. One of those is Jan Shipps. Best of luck in your endeavors.

By the way, our Church uses the King James Version of the Bible. The Bible we use is published by our Church because our footnotes and other reference materials are published by the Church, but the text of our English Bibles is the King James Version.

For the record, to both MikeZ and Pablo, I am in no way offended or troubled by what either of you said. Even if you don't think Mormons are Christians, while I disagree, is not offensive. Intelligent people (and I am generously including myself in that category) can disagree respectfully.

As a new convert to "mormonism" I would pound anyone's face in that will tell me to my face that I am not a christian. When i went on a life-soul searching mission a year ago, i found mormons were the most "christian" of all so called christians and christian churches. I prayed hard to make sure what i was getting myself into was right and i have never regretted it.

I have been told many times by persons of many different faiths that I am not a Christian. The thing is that I know that I am a Christian because I know the God that I worship. I have a deeply personal relationship with Him and He is the Jesus Christ of the New Testament who atoned for my sins, died on the cross, and was resurrected. My belief is not an academic, intellectual exercise in theological dogma. It is a real, living relationship with a real, living Christ.

Anon, "pound anyone's face in" who disagrees that you are Christian? I'm not sure that was worded in the best way. Perhaps you would like to try again? Try "turning the other cheek," or something like that....

I think it was an honest mistake. I think she meant it as "He's obviously not a Christian in the eyes of the Religious Right". And I think Mediate could care less whether Mormons are Christians, as long as they can stir up trouble amongst Republicans and Fox News.

This is without question the most civil discussion on the Mormon-Christian question arising from Ainsley Earhart's comments that I have seen. I read a few different threads on this today, and have read some others on the overall concept. Well done to keep it respectful despite the disagreements. And I certainly I hope no one gets their face pounded in by a person of my (LDS) faith.

az,nope, i worded it just right. i will pound you to the ground if you make a mockery of my religion or my family. im not a perfect christian but i am improving. i havent learned the turning the other cheek part yet.

Okay, anon, if "turning the other cheek" doesn't work for you, how about "do unto others as you would have them do unto you?" Of course, maybe you are an Old Testament kind of person: "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth..."